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Silly in Pink?

Pretty in Pink: Franck Ribery, who is paid to wear Nike cleats, sported the manufacturer’s new boots last month against Energie Cottbus. (Tobias Hase/European Pressphoto Agency)

Nike’s new pink cleats (or boots) are all the (out)rage in Europe these days.

The new Mercurial Vapor Rosas (available in the United States at a suggested retail price of $205) flashed across the landscape for the first time late last month on the feet of European stars Franck Ribery, Andrei Arshavin, Hatem Ben Arfa, Milan Baros, Marco Materazzi and Amauri.

The reaction in England has been, shall we say, tepid. During the broadcast of Sunday’s Chelsea-Arsenal game (carried in the United States on Fox Soccer Channel), the Gunners’ substitute Nicklas Bendtner entered the match in the second half wearing the pink shoes. The commentators met him with “it takes a big man to wear pink boots,” and “I guess he’s in touch with his feminine side.” (Check out this podcast from the Guardian.)

Ribery, Bayern Munich’s French midfielder, appeared in this commercial for Nike:

Franz Beckenbauer, the Bayern executive, took a shot at Ribery for his choice of footwear. But as the German daily Bild pointed out, Beckenbauer has some garb of questionable fashion taste of his own stashed away in the deep recesses of a closet somewhere.

The Mexican league used a pink ball during October, which was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But Nike says that the connection between the breast cancer campaign and the color of the new Mercurial Rosa boots is merely a coincidence.

Several teams wear (or have worn) pink jerseys. In Italy’s Serie A, Palermo wears a stylish combination of pink, black and white. In fact, Juventus began life wearing pink jerseys, but they seemed to fade in the wash. A club official contacted a pal in England to replenish the gear, but the man, a Notts County fan, sent along white-and-black striped shirts that are now Juve’s first choice.

Nike says that the shoe, made in Italy, is a “highly innovative boot that has undergone a radical transformation with a bold and unexpected injection of vibrant pink.”

“The Nike design team has selected a color equaled only by the speed and flair of the players who will wear it, the statement continued. “The Mercurial Vapor Rosa is entirely pink, apart from a white Swoosh, delivering a bold on-field statement.”

Would you wear pink shoes? Me? I’m not popular enough to wear pink.

But Arshavin, the Zenit St. Petersburg and Russia striker, is paid by Nike to feel differently: “This boot has a little bit of provocation and fun, but it won’t be too much. It will probably amuse football fans or puzzle competitors. Football is a game.”

The Juve pink was an away jersey. The Bordeaux Champions League jersey includes quite a bit of pink. And there is of course Palermo, as mentioned above. La Favorita is not exactly populated by shrinking violets on Sunday afternoons.

In the U.S. there is so much pink in soccer already, particularly on the girls side. In my daughter’s collection already, she has two pink balls, two pink uniforms, pink shoes, pink shin pads, a pink backpack, pink warmups, and pink pre-wrap for her hair. There is nothing shocking about pink in soccer. My first impression of pink shoes on a male would be he borrowed them from his girlfriend or sister.

Bendtner had worn the pink boots earlier that week as well, in a Champions League match at home in London against Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyev. (He also came on as a sub late in that match, a tense 1-0 game that Bendtner himself sealed with a fantastic goal in the 87th minute. Pink boots? They go well with Arsenal red.)

It is surprising, however, that Nike has decided to deflect the connection to breast cancer awareness, as it would have generated considerable goodwill for Nike. Now, the folks in Beaverton seem a little off.

I know I sound old and stuffy, but all football boots should be black. The growing trend of silver, red, white (white!?!?!) and now pink boots make the players look like figure skaters. The colors worn now don’t even match the uniforms so the clash often looks hideous.

Geez, so ridiculous.
It’s just another color, people. There’s nothing inherently feminine about the color pink and even if there were, shame on an NYTimes blogger for supporting the hysteria some men seem to have about never having a feminine side at all.

I will agree with Mark that if your shoes are not going to match your colors, they shouldn’t be distracting. Black or white (not sure why he hates white – maybe it gets too dirty?) seems a better choice.

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Goal, The New York Times soccer blog, will report on news and features from the world of soccer and around the Web. Times editors and reporters will follow international tournaments and provide analysis of games. There will be interviews with players, coaches and notable soccer fans, as well as a weekly blog column by Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore. Readers can discuss Major League Soccer, foreign leagues and other issues with fellow soccer fans.